Beowulf and Modern United States Essay - 604 Words

Beowulf and Modern United States Many people who read the poem Beowulf would probably find it hard to find similarities between the poem and life in modern America. How could one compare an ancient Anglo-Saxon culture with the sophisticated world that we are living in today? But, if we look closely, we may be able to pinpoint some parallel between the two societies. This essay will discuss the topics of warrior life, the â€Å"bad guy,† and social similarities. One might wonder how a warrior culture might be similar to our own? But if we consider American culture, we are actually still very war-like. We have a strong military system built to protect our country and the people that make it up. We are also known for going to the aid of other†¦show more content†¦There have been anti-war protests because people are not so sure who the bad guy is. In Beowulf, I felt that same idea. Even though Grendel is doing bad things, I don’t think that he is so different from the humans. He is killing people for his own reasons, which is the same attitude I saw in Beowulf. Grendel is jealous of the humans and his inability to be like them causes him to kill those same people he envies. Murders are acts of revenge in some cases in the story such as the death of Aeschere by Grendel’s mother for her son’s death. Killing occurs in the story for very simple or petty motives. There is also a social similarity in the cultures. There is the same idea of people coming together to relax and talk while drinking alcohol. Many times the alcohol can lead to negative conversations. This can be seen in Beowulf. Unferth says to Beowulf, â€Å"Are you that Beowulf who contended with Breca, competed in swimming on the broad sea, where for pride you explored the water, and for foolish boast ventured lives in the deep?†(Norton 11) He is trying to put Beowulf down here, and I’m sure the alcohol made it easier for him to say what it is he is thinking. In Beowulf, the mead hall is a hub for this type of social interaction, a way to relax from the pressures of the warrior life. This is very similar to American society now. Bars and similar establishments have replaced the mead halls, butShow MoreRelatedEssay on Comparison of Modern Day Heroes and Beowulf744 Words   |  3 PagesComparison of Modern Day Heroes and Beowulf Most of us have heard of modern day heroes such as Spiderman, Superman, and the Hulk. Each is a hero to many children. Heroes are introduced to people early on in life usually as fictional characters, but as children grow older their perceptions of heroes alter. The characteristics of a hero are usually based around the ideas of a society or culture. In the epic Beowulf, the main character is thought of as a hero. Beowulf, a pagan warrior and the mainRead MoreBeowulf and Superman Essay689 Words   |  3 PagesBeowulf, an anonymous English epic, is an archaic poem written in the times of the Anglo-Saxon reign in England. 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